Hungarian Freemasonry.

cation of the Great Architect of the Universe as a solemn prayer . " Similarly , he allows that there arc many other Hungarian Masons who may justl y be p laced in the same category in this respect as their G . Master . On the other hand ,

he fearlessl y asserts it " as a matter of fact which cannot be denied , " that "there are Hungarian Masons , even holding hi g h dignities in Grand Lodge , who profess themselves to be Atheists even in open Lodge and even to Candidates at receptions . "

Thus , though the invocation is a solemn prayer in the minds of the G . Master and those who are of his way of thinking , it can be nothing else than " a mere formula" with those who are thus publicly declaring themselves to be Atheists . He reasserts

that " there were instances that brethren were deprived of the word in open lodge for maintaining the belief in a Supreme Being to be a Landmark of the Order , " and declares in addition that " recently a number of brethren who confessed themselves

to be S p iritualists were vehementl y attacked in a Budapest Lodge for their believing in the immortality of the soul , so that they determined entirel y to withdraw from this lodge . " As for the Grand Master ' s question , " If Gr . Lodge did not believe in the G . A . where would be the sense of invoking him ? " our

correspondent answers it in the good old orthordox fashion b y propounding another question— " If it be true that ALL Hungarian Masons believe in God , why was the belief in God and the immortality of the soul expunged from the Book of Constitutions , "

in 18 S 6 ( just as in France in 1 S 77 ) . Again , as regards the invocation , he remarks " that He is invoked but onl y occasionall y , as the Rituals of opening and closing do not contain an

invocation to God , as those in England do . " In other words , " If a W . M . or the Gr . M . thinks it fit to invoke the G . A ., lie may do so ; another one may omit it , if he pleases . No objection is made either to the one or to the other . "

Our correspondent , after remarking that "the standpoint of the Gr . Lodge of Hungary seems to be that ol perfect libert y of conscience" as in France . "Individual brethren as well as lodges are at liberty to believe or not to believe , and consequentl y to

invoke or not to invoke T . G . A . O . T . U ., or to understand b y this expression what they please . " In other words belief in God and a future state is not a conditio sine qua non of acceptance into Hungarian Freemasonry , and as our correspondent forcibly puts

it— just there is the rub . ' " He closes his communication b y pointing out that in the communicated article of the 25 th June ( 1 ) the Grand Master confessed that the Volume of the Sacred Law is at the present time absent from the Altars in the lodges

of Hungary ; and ( 2 ) that he does not deny that the belief in God and the immortality of the soul was reall y expunged from the Book of Constitutions in 1 S 86 . and has not been re-inserted

since . We should like to know what there is to be said in repl y to these statements , as we have framed them out of the communication with which our respected correspondent has favoured us . What has the Grand Master to say to this ?

Great Priory Of England

GREAT PRIORY OF ENGLAND

The Great Priory of England and Wales has been exceptionally provided for since the issue , annually , of the Liber Onliuis TcmpU , of which Part 3 1 f the Vol . I . I as just been published and circul ited . It is b y far the most remarkable and valuable < f the Series , and is a real bjon for the fratres of this live Organisation , which is manifesting vigorous signs of activity , and has taken its r lace , as tf yore , £ s one of the bett and oldest of the chilvalric Decrees .

Minutes if the two assemblies held ( roth December , 1 S 97 , and 13 h May , 1898 ) , since the 11 st R port , are duly recorded , and an Abstract of Accounts apperded , duly sudittd , and vouched for . Then follov the Registers of the Knights Grand Cross , of whom there are 17 ( Five Princes heading the I st ) ,

and the Knights Command , r , 29 in niimbir . After these is the distinctive feature of the present issue , one involving no little labour , but of considerable interest and utility , for reference especially , v ' y . , the Roll of Great Officers from 1873 lo ISGS , each cLs ; beii'g in a srpirate column , with the \ ear of appointmei . l at the iL ' e .

The list of Provinces is as complete as ever , and to date of issue , so also is the Roll of Preaptories , arranged in alphabetical order , with their numbers ( or letters ) , where held , dates of warrants ( and also the fev centenary warrants ) .

The Preceptories removed from the Roll orcupy some five pages , but : s the list runs from the earliest period to 1 SyS , that is not to bs woncered at . The alphabeticil list of all tin- members , with the numbers of the Pre-K ptories in which t ! ey were iiiitallcd , and those they still belong to , covers

Great Priory Of England

25 pages , and an Obituary follows immediately after—48 names , including Lieut .-Col . Geo . Aug . Vernon and Brigadier-Gen . A . G . Yeatman-Biggs , C . B ., much lamented . The Roll of Preceptories is complete , and arranged according to date of joining , as respects the membership , the names of the Preceptors and Registrars , with the addresses of the latter , being added . The Preceptories

are phced in their numerical order , to that there are really two lists , one beinp alphabetical and the other numerical . The compilation reflects the greatest credit on Bro . Charles Fitzgerald Matier , K C . T ., the respected Great Vice-Chancellor , and all concerned . W . J . HUGHAN .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Norfolk.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF NORFOLK .

BRO . LORD SUFFIELD RESIGNS . On Thursday , the 14 th inst ., the annual meeting of the above Prov . Grand Lodge was held at the rooms of the Masonic Association in St . Giles ' , Norwich , when there were present about a hundred brethren of the Craft to meet the Prov . G . Master , Bro . Lord Suffield . The usual routine business was transacted , and Bro . A . N . Mann , P . M ., P . P . G . Std . Br ., was invested as Prov . G . T . on the nomination of Bro . W . P . Eversley ,

P . M ., P . P . J . G . W .. The following brethren were appointed officers of Provincial Grand Lodge , viz .: Bro . H . Chamberlin , I . P . M . ¦ 51 . ' ? ... ... Prov . S . G . W .

„ C . W . Smith , I . P . M . 107 ... ... Prov . J . G . W . " £ * A" G P A ° i lard ' ( re-a PP ° inted ) - ] Pro * G . Chaps . „ Rev . A . J . Alpe , 52 ... ... ... j - l „ H . Warne , W . M . 1500 ... .... ... Prov . G . Reg .

„ G . W . G . Barnard , P . M . 943 ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ J . T . Spurrell , I . P . M . 102 ( re-appointed ) ... Prov . S . G . D . „ J . Green , I . P . M . 996 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ C . E . Todd , I . P . M . 807 ... ... Prov . G . S . of W . .. A . N . Tvrell . I . P . M . 100 ... ... Prov . G . D . C .

„ R . Harrison , I . P . M . 1114 ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ F . A . Bond , I . P . M . 85 ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ S . Cole , P . M . 213 ... \ prov . G . Std . Br . „ F . J . Burrage , I . P . M . 1741 ... ... ) „ G . Hare , I . P . M . 1193 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org .

„ W . Olliver , J . D . 943 ( re-appointed ) ... Prov . Asst . G . bsc . „ F . Gregory , P . M . 1808 ... ... ... Prov . G . Purst . „ W . Buckenham , S . W . 213 ... ... Prov . A . G . Purst . 11 T . E . Hollidge ... ... - " t ProvGTs „ T . Wyatt ( re-appointed ) ... ___ } t rov . u . is .

„ F . W . Lewis , S . D . 100 ... ... "" ) „ J . Gaymer , S . W . 102 ... ... ... | „ WR . Smith , io Iprov . G . Stwds . ,, G . Hammant , 313 ... ... ... [ „ J . H . Colman , J . W . 213 ... ... I ,, G . S . Barnard , 807 ... ... ... J

The following were elected members of the Baard of General Purposes : Bros . Sir C . H . Gilman , P . M . 52 , P . P . G . W . ; J . B . Bridgman , P . M . 93 and 943 , P . P . G . W . ; T . ] . Mackley , P . M . 1500 , P . P . A . G . D . C . ; R . Martins , P . M . 100 and 313 , P . P . G . Reg . ; G . W . Page , P . M . 107 , P . P . G . Reg . ; and II . J . Spatks , P . M ., P . P . G . VV ., Past Deputy District G . M . Bengal .

Before Provincial Grand Lodge was closed , Bro . Lord SUITIELI ) announced his intention of resigning his office as Provincial Grand Master , which he-had held for the past 22 years . He explained that lie had to take that step not only on account of indifferent health , but because he felt he could no longer discharge the important duties attaching to his office as thoroughly as he could desire in consequence of other pressing engagements . It would , therefore , be to the best interests of

Provincial Grand Lodge that he should resign , and he was indeed gratified to add that H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , as M . W . G . M . of England , had graciously signified his intention of appointing as his successor Bro . Hamon Ic Strange , who had so worthily carried out the duties of Deputy Provincial Grand Master . His lordship assured the brethren that he resigned his position with much regret , but at the same time he reminded them that he should often be with them .

Wymondham and Cromer put in claims with regard to the place for holding next year's Prov . Grand Lodge . The subject remains in abeyance , Lord Suffield rather favouring the former town . Subsequently the brethren assembled in the schoolroom in the Cathedral Cloisters , where , having donned their Masonic clothing , they were met by the Cathedral choir and clergy—Canon Robinson , Canon Hervey , and

Minor Canon BrefiV . Preceded by these , and to the strains of the organ voluntary , they marched to the choir , where Masons bslow Provincial Grand Lodge rank and officers of Provincial Grand Lodge rank formed two lines , through which the Prov . Grind Mas ' er , who was accompanied by Bros . Hamon lc Strange , Deputy Prov . Grand Master ; Sir F . Bolleau , Rev . G .

Sharley , andti . W . G . Barnard , and other notable Masons of the province , proceeded to the Corporation seats . Minor Canon Breffit and Canon Robinson intoned the service ; the Lessons were read by Canon Hervey and Bro . the Rev . A . J . Alpe , P . G . Chap . The anthem was the unaccompanied trio , " Lift thine eyes" ( Mendelssohn ) , and the hymn before the sermon that beginning , " With glory clad , with strength renewed . "

The preacher was Bro . the Rev . L . G . POLLARD , Vicar of St . Peter-per-Mountergate , P . G . Chap ., who prefaced a discourse appropriate to the occasion by a touching tribute to the great loss which the city and the province had sustained in the death of Bro . H . G . Barwell . The concluding hymn was '' O Lord , how joyful ' tis to see , " during the singing of which a collection was made on behalf of the Cathedral Repara - tion Fund .

In the evening a banquet was hald at the Masonic Rooms under the presidercycf Bro . Lord Suffield . Bro . HAMON LE STRANGE proposed " The Health of the Prov . Grand Master , " and referred in feeli . ig terms to the way in which his lordship had discharged his duties during the 22 years he had held office . The regret they would feel at his retirement was , however , tempered in consequence of his lordship not wishing to leave the province or in any way to consider himself in the future as a stranger to the various lodges .